Podcast #80: How to Overcome Resistance to Technology Upgrades, with Will Harrelson

August 9th, 2016

“It’s important to be considerate and empathetic for individuals that are really going to struggle with the change.”—Will Harrelson

For this week’s Lawyerist podcast, Sam talks with Will Harrelson from Curo Legal about how to overcome resistance when your firm needs to upgrade its technology, systems, or processes.

Does Anyone Actually Know How Much Money Solo Lawyers Make?

Sam mentioned that there has recently been a war among law professors over what solo practitioners earn. One professor used IRS data and determined that while solo attorneys made an average of $74,000 in the 1960s, that number has now dropped to $49,000 per year. Another group of law professors looked at census data and found that solo attorneys, on average, earn between $100,000 and $165,000.

Aaron said he had recently conducted a survey of members of the Minnesota state bar, and one question was about net income for solo practitioners. His survey found that the vast majority of solo practitioners earned under $100,000, with most earning somewhere in the range of $40,000 to $60,000.

Both Sam and Aaron agreed that solo attorneys are dealing with some unsustainable trends: the cost of legal education is going up and the pay for solos is going down. Additionally, the startup cost of a law practice is a non-trivial amount. Sam concluded, however, that if individuals go into the field with an entrepreneurial mindset and a solid strategy, they can exceed the average.

How to Overcome Resistance to Technology Upgrades, with Will Harrelson

Will Harrelson is Director of Product Integration for Curo Legal. As a practicing attorney and tech nerd, Will brings his experience testing, refining, and implementing agile and efficient legal technology to CuroLegal. He also works with clients to take a realistic look at improving their technology. Will is a regular CLE and law school presenter on ethics, legal technology, and firm operations.